It is known to dye or finish fibrous materials with compositions dissolved in supercritical carbon dioxide. This is apparent, for example, from “Supercritical Dyeing of Polyester Fibers in a mini-plant possessing internal circulator” in CA Abstract 155: 564784 c (relating to Sen'i Gakkaishi 2011, 67(2), pp. 27-33), and also from WO 94/18264 A1, EP 1 126 072 A2, DE 39 06 724 A1, EP 1 809 806 B1, WO 2004/009897 A1, and also EP 0 846 803 B1.
One disadvantage of existing processes for treating fibrous materials in supercritical carbon dioxide is that the dissolved products are frequently readily soluble in supercritical carbon dioxide, but not in water. This often narrows the choice of products to be additionally used in the solution because of their beneficial properties. For the reason mentioned, it is frequently also impossible in the existing processes to bestow a desired degree of hydrophilic properties on the fibrous materials.
The problem addressed by the present invention was that of avoiding the disadvantages of known compositions/processes and providing compositions, or solutions thereof in supercritical carbon dioxide, wherewith fibrous materials can be treated or dyed and endowed with hydrophilic properties which can be controlled within wide limits.